One Kiss (One Kiss Book 1)

01. Prologue

Haley

I do not have tears left to cry anymore. My mother's death has left me numb and exhausted. The house feels empty and dull without the sound of her voice. She used to see along to all typs of songs - old and modern - on the radio. She made me fall in love with songs like "Tainted love," "Don't stop me now" and "Sweet dreams." I have nothing but the memories now - memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. Unfortunately I have no idea who my father is - maybe it is better this way. I am better off imagining that my father was a good man. My mother never told me anything about him and whenever I asked, she changed the subject or told me that I am better off without him. My mother, Iris Watson, had no family - she grew up in foster care since she was a baby. Our last name is curtesy of the first family who fostered her.

Since I do not have any family and I am not old enough to live on my own, I am going to live with an old friend of my mother's - Ashley Evans. Ashley has a son - Drew - who is a year older than I am which means he is a senior in high school. When I was a child, we used to visit the Evans family and I used to play with Drew in their garden. I remember how amazed I was at how beautiful their house was compared to our cheap, two-bedroom apartment. My mother saved up all her money for me to be able to go to college one day. She never had that opportunity so she worked harder to save more money for me. I want to go to college and become a teacher, maybe even a professor eventually.

I make sure that I packed everything. I did not have much things I wanted to take with me - just clothes, any essential products and photos. My mother only passed away last week and the apartment has been sold already. The new owner will be moving in next week. I even had to sell my mother's car since I do not have a license yet. I grab my bag and suitcase and meet the cab driver in front of the apartment building. I mumble a 'hello' because I do not have the energy to make small talk. The cab has been pre-paid by Ashley. She wanted me to get to the airport safely and in time. She even paid for my direct flight and she promised to meet me at the airport. The flight from Denver to Bend, Oregon takes about two hours and a half. I spend most of that time reading a book my mother had given me for my 14th birthday - before she was diagnosed with liver cancer.

When I enter the arrivals area at the airport, I look around for Ashley. The only reason I remember what she looks like is because she came to the funeral. She came alone because her husband was abroad on business and her son had school. Ashley's shiny, blonde hair catches my attention. She also waves at me and smiles when she notices me. I offer a small wave in return but I cannot smile. My facial muscles do not seem to be working at the moment. Next to Ashley is a guy who I do not recognize at first. He has the same dark hair I remember from the child version of Drew. His hair style is different now of course. I take in his facial expression - he looks like he wants to be anywhere but here - like he has been forced to come here. Great. He probably does not want me to live with them.

I never dated anyone and I have no intention of doing that now either. Boys only want to get into a girl's pants and then they would leave her and move on to the next one. They are all players and my mother's exes - including my father, from what my mom told me - are all proof of that.

That is what I thought until Drew changed my life and it all started with one kiss. This is the story of how it all began. This is how one kiss from Drew changed everything.